BEDBUGS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK!

For those of us who frequent the night-life in New York City, or anywhere in New York State, for that matter, I give you a word of caution regarding your overnight stay.

A recent report on the standard of quality hotel accommodations reveals there is an infestation of Bed Bugs throughout the state. Mostly in Manhattan. It also emphasises that the hotel's star rating doesn't matter. Not the best news you've heard lately, but with today's economy , fewer of us are spending time in the city anyway.

What doesn't help, is the word is out in the tourism industry. What's worse...people know that the hotels and motels around Kingston are also afflicted with Bed Bugs.

The Hudson Valley region became infested about 5 or 6 years ago before gas prices skyrocketed and the disposable money was still being invested by way of New York tourists. Now, the little buggers are here to stay.

One type of business has thrived because of this uninvited guest. The pest control business. Homes and lodging facilities have picked up the pace for some of these services and one such business had to buy a special bug sniffing dog to keep up with the local cases. The dogs name is Sophie.

Pestmaster Services in Kingston purchased this Border Collie Mix back in 2002, and she can tell if a room is infested with bugs after only a few sniffs. I read that before becoming a pest detection dog, Sophie was adopted from a humane society shelter in Florida by Bill Whitstine, owner of the Florida Canine Academy.

You might think this is just a cute gimmick, but it turns out several U.S. pest control companies offer working dogs that are trained for locating bugs and mold. And to be sure, I looked up a professional accreditation association that was formed to make sure scent detection dog standards are upheld for such dogs.

Sophie has been on the job for five years locally.

In a recent article on Bed Bugs in the Poughkeepsie Journal, Andrew Evans, from the Dutchess Co. Dept. of Health, said people do alert him of bed bugs but he said there's no county data available on the scope of the pest problem.

According to the article, bed bugs are hard to spot because they are about the size of an apple seed, and they can flatten themselves completely, enabling them to hide in the smallest cracks and crevices, including electrical outlets. They are wingless blood-feeding parasites and found in both homes and commercial sites such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, college dormitories and hospitals.

The reason why a pest control business would invest in a dog is because of the sensitive sense of smell. Dogs are about 98 percent accurate compared with a human, who would be about 30 percent accurate through conventional means.

So, if you discover any odd welts on your children or acquire a strange rash out of nowhere, think about the possible feeding frenzy that happens while you sleep each night. Another report says you can actually feel the Bed Bugs on you, unlike fleas and ticks. So those freaky phantom tickles on your legs; may not be you imagination after all.

COMMON FIRE BOARDING HOUSE SAGA

Neighbors around the proposed boarding house on Stuyvesant St are pleased to hear there will be a public meeting this Thursday at City Hall, sponsored by Alderman Robert Senor.

This quiet little street with limited parking is about to get a 12 member family at the cliff-side property of 35 Stuyvesant. A charming Queen Ann style home with a 4 car driveway, this single family home is the focus of "Common Fire" communities based out of Tivoli NY.

With 1 & half bath and an illegally renovated attic space, they plan on sharing expenses amongst the members of the home.

On the surface, the business plan sounds great, and there are some great people running the program, but the location is what has the neighborhood upset. Nestled at the end of this cull-du-sac, this home is slated for renovation. [The Greenification] Well, that means a standard home in “move-in” condition will be the source of additional waste at the dump. Correct? That wont help diminish the waste stream.

I have asked a few proponents of the boarding house to drive to the driveway and turn around, like a homework assignment. No-one has reported back with any pleasant stories. And not one has told me where the off-street dumpster will be located.

Here are some properties on the market that would better serve such a large group of people:

This one on Delaware ave is going for $330K and has 5 bedrooms, all of which are bigger than those in the Stuyvesant home. With a circle driveway around the house, it’s better suited than the proposed site. You could park 10 cars on-site easy.

This one is on Greenkill Ave is close to the three bus routes and houses 5 apartments with enough parking spaces to store five school busses. Going for $450K, the “Fire” people could double their occupancy and greater diminish their dependence on energy. An acre of gardening space would make them the “Garden Co-op” champions of the city.

These are just two examples of better suited properties within Kingston. I’m sure if we look in the Town of Ulster, we would find even more.

All of these choices would be excellent if full taxes were offered. Think about it...People in regular single family homes throughout the city are paying property taxes. They are families struggling to make ends meet.

This proposal intends to take the property off the tax rolls. What effect do you think that has on the greater community?

Some proponents of “Common Fire”, as well meaning as they are, are also touting that they would be happy to pay higher property taxes if it meant this boarding house moved into their neighborhood. I suggest the folks in this income bracket should wear a T-Shirt with that sentiment printed on it and walk around their neighborhood.

In conclusion, the scouting for property and negotiations with the departments could have seen more sunlight long before it got to this stage. Coming to the city or town with pride at the start would have prompted a helping hand from everyone. Now, with lawyers and angry neighbors, it will be hard to shift public sentiment. And thanks for letting the Aldermen know. No, really!

Note: the Tivoli location is in a less dense neighborhood and parking is a non-issue.